Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

RocknRolla

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Stylish, edgy British crime caper for grown-ups.

Movie R 2008 114 minutes
RocknRolla Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Sincerus
Sincerus Adult
July 19, 2014
age 15+

Fast paced and gritty- but can probably make anyone uncomfortable

This is an exceptionally entertaining film, though even adults might have no idea what on earth is going on as the primary "heist" is something to do with property/land. The violence is rampant throughout (fists, guns, golf clubs, killer fish, and lots of blood) though if I remember correctly nobody but the Big Bad and a few no name characters actually die, lots of sex talk (one 6 second scene that is purely sound based which is an impressive feat, and one really weird scene where Russian gangsters prancing around in their underwear have tied and gagged a mostly clothed man to a bed, like a precursor to S andM) , lots of swearing, a heroin addict is a main character and I'm 99% everyone in this is drunk at least some of the time. That being said it's pretty impressive and the 16+ crowd should enjoy it.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
darthsitkur
darthsitkur Adult
August 10, 2012
age 15+

hilarious lol

there was lots of laughs in rocknrolla, and i after i saw it, i thought to myself, it would be awesome if monty python made this lol, and even though i thought this was extremely funny, shaun of the dead is several times funnier, but both movies are equally funny anyway
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In present-day London, a group of low-level criminals known as "The Wild Bunch" is in debt to Lenny (Tom Wilkinson), the king of London's underground -- who's also trying to serve as the go-between as a Russian crime lord tries to get government approval for a new building project. At the same time, the Russian's beautiful accountant is setting him up to be robbed by The Wild Bunch, and Lenny's degenerate, drug-addicted rock star stepson has faked his own death to both get away from it all and boost his record sales.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (7 ):

Shot on digital video, RocknRolla has a loose, fun feel to it. That's largely due to Gerard Butler's charming work as lead gangster "One-Two" and Mark Strong's work as classy crook Archie. ROCKNROLLA marks a return to form for writer-director Guy Ritchie, who burst onto the scene with the stylish, Tarantino-influenced crime films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. But recent years have seen Ritchie mentioned more for his marriage to Madonna than his films, so RocknRolla's mix of crime and comedy is a welcome reminder of what he can do when he does what he does best.

Other standouts in the cast include Toby Kebell, who plays burnt-out rock musician/junkie Johnny Quid; Kebell conveys the desperation, elation, squalor, and sleaze of serious crack addiction in a way that makes his bit part the soul of the film. Ritchie has a real flair for cartoon violence -- a robbery-fight-chase scene plays out as blood-soaked hilarity -- which means that RocknRolla is a higher grade of high-gloss caper-crime-comedy film. Ritchie has suggested that there'll be a series of films with these characters, and while it's hard to imagine anyone crying out for that as a matter of necessity after seeing RocknRolla, at least this film is a fun ride while you're watching it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of crime cinema, particularly stylized crime comedies like this one. Can you successfully mix laughs with a body count? Can a movie with murder in it be taken as lightly as this one would like to be? Families can also discuss the negative consequences of drug addiction, as depicted in this film with startling frankness. How realistic do you think the portrayal is?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate